Ignominy
by LoveShinobi-Angelv
Summary: AU. It's funny how one mistake can change the course of a person's life. But sometimes, it's not their life that winds up changed. -Rated for Sexual Content- Note: An OC story
1. Of All the Places in the World

**Ignominy**

_Chapter One_

-Of All the Places in the World-

A dark haired woman started up the steps of the courthouse, her black Prada pumps clicking against the cement as she walked. She had on a black pencil skirt with a matching blazer, a light purple dress shirt underneath. Her long black hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and she wore black thick-rimmed glasses as she looked over the papers in her hand. Today she was handling a divorce, and a messy one at that. The husband and wife practically wanted to rip each other to shreds.

Unfortunately, her father had dropped it on her since her brother was ill, along with her niece. So she had to pick up the slack. But Kanamé had always left her good enough notes, so she never had to worry. She tucked the papers back in her briefcase and continued to the courtroom, where they would be handling the whole affair.

Izayoi pushed open the door, not surprised that only she and the judge were in the room. "Good morning Your Honor."

"Ah! Uchiha Izayoi, nice to see you again." The brunette woman smiled.

"Nice to see you again as well Melinda. How are you?"

The judge chuckled, "Good, considering."

The door on the side of the room opened then and Izayoi looked over, wanting to see who she was up against, but when her gaze landed on the man her heart stopped. And not in a good way. Her blood slowed in her veins and her grip on her briefcase tightened so that her knuckles were white. If there was a god, he had a sick sense of humor.

The man in question was tall and slim, though it was clear he had some nice muscles along with his broad shoulders. He had somewhat spiky white hair with black undertones, and sharp, intelligent grey eyes. He was dressed in a grey Armani suit with a black tie that matched his well-polished shoes. He smiled at the judge. "Hello Your Honor." He greeted with a nod, before his gaze moved to Izayoi and lit with surprise. "Izayoi, what a pleasant surprise that we should be working on the same case." He said, walking over to her. "It's been a while, how are you?"

"I'm fine." She answered sharply, avoiding his gaze and walking over to the table that was set up for her on the right side of the court room.

The judge chuckled and stood. "Well if you two will excuse me, I want to use the restroom before we get started."

Kai nodded to her as she left, before looking back at the ebony haired woman. "So what have you been up to lately? Are things going well at the firm?"

"They're going just _fine_. Now if you don't mind, I would prefer to speak to you as little as possible." She snapped dropping her briefcase on the table to make a loud smack.

He frowned. "You know, just because we're working different sides of the case doesn't mean we can't still be friendly. I mean, I haven't seen you since we graduated law school. I just want to catch up."

"What in God's name makes you think I want to catch up with you?" she huffed, finally looking at him, though her angry gaze faltered. "I would have thought me throwing champagne in your face at our graduation party, or maybe pushing you into that pool at my father's cocktail party was enough evidence that I _don't_ like you."

"But I don't even understand what I did to offend you so." The white haired man said. "We've known one another since we were kids Iza, and all of a sudden you hate me. Why?"

"It's _not_ all of a sudden, I've hated you since senior year if you remember right, but then again considering whom I'm talking to, I'm not surprised you don't remember something so significant in your own life." She grumbled, sitting down and pulling out the things she would need.

He sighed, walking over to his own table and taking out his papers. "Well then maybe you could tell me what it is I am supposedly forgetting, since that is clearly the reason you're being so cold towards me." he said, sitting down as well.

Izayoi scoffed. "And why should I tell you that? You almost ruined my life without even remembering why."

"Right, because stewing in your bitterness all alone instead of telling me what I did so I can fix it is the better option." He rolled his eyes, unbuttoning his jacket and straightening it with jerky movements.

The door to the courtroom opened to reveal a bickering pair, who were making their way towards the front. Izayoi stood and looked back, grimacing at the sight. The man she was representing was on the larger side. His brown hair was combed to the side and he smirked when he saw the dark haired woman. "Damn! Is this my replacement lawyer?" he asked, stopping in front of Izayoi. "You're damn sexy to be a lawyer. I'd like to bend you over that table and fuck you si-"

He was hit over the head by the blonde woman beside him. "Forgive me ma'am. I apologize on behalf of my boorish _ex_-husband."

"It is alright." She sighed, shaking both their hands. "I've encountered worse."

"That she has." Kai stood and walked over to them, holding out his hand and shaking their hands. "The judge has stepped out for a minute, but she should be back soon." He informed the couple….or, ex-couple.

The woman looked Kai up and down, purring with delight. "My, oh, my, are you going to be taking care of me today?" She let out a soft moan as she leaned closer to him, running her tongue over her lips. "You look like you can really please a woman."

Izayoi rolled her eyes, taking her seat as the man sat beside her, his eyes focused on her legs. Kai chuckled, though it was mostly fake. "Thank you Mrs. Yamamoto. Now if you'll come sit with me, we can all be ready when Her Honor arrives." He smiled, gesturing to their seats. They walked over there and he pulled hers back for her, since he _was_ a gentleman, despite what some ebony haired, jade eyed women thought.

The judge came back in with the officer of the court, and everyone rose as she walked to her chair, sitting along with her. "Well it seems everyone is here. I have read to believe that each party wishes to have three quarters of the assets?"

"Yes Your Honor." Izayoi nodded. Kai did as well, replying with the same.

"Well alright. Let's get this underway. I hate when divorce takes too long to get through." She sighed, banging her gavel for the proceedings to continue.

* * *

Izayoi groaned as she started down the steps. This case was going to take forever. Both the husband and their wife were assholes, and Kai was a disturbingly witty lawyer to have to go against. But she should expect nothing less from her snide brother's best friend. "Izayoi, hold up a second!" Kai called from behind her.

"No." she tried to speed up, but unfortunately her heels failed her and she tripped forward, only to be caught by the one she was trying to get away from.

"Are you alright?" he asked, helping her stand straight once more.

"I'm fine." She sighed, pulling away from him.

Kai frowned. "You should be more careful." He told her. "Speaking of which, I think you need to find someone else in your firm to take this case. Preferably a male."

The dark haired woman glared up at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Excuse me?"

He sighed. "Now don't get all huffy and defensive." He said. "I only said that because I don't like the way Mr. Yamamoto looks at you, or speaks to you. I don't trust him, and I would rather not have anything bad happen to you while working this case. I'm just worried about you is all." He implored, placing his hands on her upper arms.

"Well then it's a good thing I am not your concern." Izayoi growled. "I can handle my own, and I am more than capable of keeping away a horny man, especially an unattractive one."

"Iza," he pleaded, reaching up and stroking her cheek with his thumb. "You will always be my concern, no matter how much you dislike me."

She batted his hand away, pushing past him. "Well then you need to get over me because that's not going anywhere, ever again."

He turned and followed after her, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean ever again? You've always rejected any of my advances, even if all I do is ask you to get coffee with me."

"I did not _always_ reject them." She shot back, glancing over her shoulder at him. "I totally had a crush on you in high school. We went to homecoming together, if you _don't_ remember that either."

"No, I remember that." Kai said. "I'm talking about all the times I've asked you out since senior year. After you toured Europe with your mom, and even a little before that you've kept me at an arm's length."

Izayoi finally stopped, whirling around on him. "Well maybe you should try and remember what changed that. I'll give you a hint. It was my brother's pre-prom bash. Why that moron had a pre-prom party, I don't know, but it ruined _everything_ you stupid insensitive jerk!"

He frowned, trying to remember that night. It had been hard enough when he'd been in high school, but now that so many years had passed since then, it was even harder. He scratched his head. "I may need another hint." He smiled apologetically. "That was so long ago, after all."

"Oh? Because I remember it clear as day." She snapped, bumping into a small child as she walked down the streets. She blinked and looked back, waving at the dark haired girl, "Sorry!" she called before retuning her furious stare back on Kai. "Well you were drunk off your ass and came into my room." Izayoi seethed, crossing her arms. "And if you don't remember that, then I can't help you anymore."

Kai looked at the ground as he thought about it. He knew he'd drunk too much that night, he'd been competing against Noriaki in numerous drinking games as a form of entertainment. He also knew that that was why he couldn't remember anything, since the hangover he'd had the next day had been the worst of his life, and was actually the reason he rarely touched alcohol to this day. But he'd gone into her room? Why on earth would he have done that?

He gasped loudly, his eyes widening as he halted in his tracks. Izayoi stopped as well, giving him an odd look. But before she could say anything, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her fiercely. "I'm so sorry Iza." He whispered, sounding pained. He released her then, pulling away so that she could see the horror that was on his face. "I can't believe I did that to you…the mere thought…is revolting…I'm the worst person alive. I'm so, _so_ sorry."

The dark haired woman looked extremely confused for a moment before it dawned upon her what he thought he had done. Well now, an opportunity like this simply couldn't be passed up. "Say it Kai." She had to stop the smirk from gracing her features. "Admit aloud what you did."

He swallowed, looking around to make sure that nobody was listening before he leaned closer to the ebony haired woman. "I…I forced you." he whispered. "I came into your room and I took you…"

Izayoi pressed her lips together in a thin line, trying to hold in her laughter. But she couldn't stop herself from bursting out. Kai blinked, his sad expression turning to worry. "Is this some kind of coping mechanism, because I'm confused."

She only continued to laugh, wiping away the tears that had gathered in her eyes. "Oh…Kai, I'm sorry that was too mean." Her laughter finally died into chuckles. "You didn't rape me Kai."

"Oh thank God." He let out a relieved breath. "Iza, you almost gave me a heart attack." He smiled, glad to see that she still knew how to do such a gesture.

"Yes well…" she trailed off, her eyes widening for a moment. She pushed him aside and hurried back the way she had come. "It couldn't be…" she pushed through the crowd, ignoring the call for her name behind her. Izayoi looked around, trying to spot the face again.

Kai caught up to her. "Is something wrong Izayoi?" he asked, looking around the area to try and find what it was she had seen, though he hadn't a clue.

She ignored him at first before she sighed, rubbing her temples. "I must be going crazy."

"If that's the case then there's no hope for the rest of us." He joked, setting his hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be alright?"

Izayoi pulled away from him as if his hand burned her skin, and the distaste returned to her expression as she was now reminded of her dislike. "I'll be fine Kai. I said it was nothing." She snapped, though her voice caught, almost as if she were holding back pain and tears.

He frowned. "Iza…please tell me what happened that night. If I didn't rape you, then what was it? Did I say something? Do something?"

"It was nothing." She turned to face him, before walking past him. "See you tomorrow in court…and stop following me." She sighed, disappearing in the crowd of people.

He wiped a hand down his face before rubbing his temple as he headed in the opposite direction to his car. This was going to be one of the most difficult cases of his life, he just knew it. And it had nothing to do with the clients.


	2. Excitement

**Ignominy**

_Chapter Two_

-Excitement-

A dark haired girl with stormy grey eyes ran down the sidewalk towards a brick building. She was around ten years old, her bright expression turning to joy as she burst through the doors of the orphanage. "Kurogané!" she called, pushing through the other kids who were giving her odd and annoyed looks.

She finally reached the backyard and tossed the door open to see her brother playing basketball with his friends. He looked almost exactly like her, though his short spiky hair was a bit wild. There was a white streak down the left side of his hair, mirroring the one she had on her right side. "Kurogané!" She yelled from the steps. "I saw her!"

"Saw who?" he asked, giving her an annoyed glance as he ran around one of the other boys and took a shot, making it.

Her smile grew. "I saw Mom. I saw her! She's here in the city!"

The young boy sighed, turning and walking off the court since his friends were going to set up for the next game. When he was before his sister he grabbed her hand and dragged her off to the side. "Izumi, you gotta stop looking for her. She doesn't care about us anymore. I'm sure you just saw some lady that looked kinda like her." he reasoned.

"It _was_her! She's the most beautiful mom ever! She had black hair and gorgeous green eyes! _Exactly_ like yours! And I remember her voice." Izumi was bouncing up and down. "It was her. She's here! And she's better than I ever imagined."

He glared, though it wasn't really at his twin. "If she's so great then why didn't she recognize you, huh?" he asked. "Quit thinking you've found her, okay. She's never coming back. All we have is each other, and you're just going to have to get used to it."

"She was arguing with someone! He was following her and trying to be all creepy! And how would she just recognize me?" she tried to explain. "She's young _still, _which means she was little when she had us! Maybe she had no choice?"

Kurogané sighed. "Whatever. If she really wanted us she would have kept us. Or gotten us that time she came by the old orphanage. Just stop wasting your time looking for her Zuzu, I don't want to see you get upset again when she's the wrong one."

Izumi groaned out, pulling on her long dark hair. "You're not listening to me Kuro! It's _her_. I've never been so sure in my life! I recognized her _voice_! I've never recognized the voice before, and I know where she goes during the day!"

He shook his head. "You're just letting your imagination get away with you." he said. "Now why don't we go get some play dough and play ice cream shop, huh?" he asked, taking her hand and leading her back towards the patio door. "Just don't lick it this time, cause' that's gross."

The dark haired girl frowned, but allowed her brother to pull her off. "So you won't help me find her brother?" she asked softly, trying not to cry.

"Why should I when you already did?" he said, not catching her sadness. He looked back at her as they entered the house and sighed. "Zuzu, please don't cry, I'm sorry for being a butthead." He apologized, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "I just don't think she wants us."

"How do you know!" she yelled, pulling away from him. "You've slowly been getting colder about it!" Izumi couldn't stop the tears now. "You hate her because she made a mistake!"

"Don't you ever say I hate her!" he shouted back. "I'm just not going to cling to the belief that she'll ever come back! If I don't believe it, then I don't have to feel the disappointment you always do when it's not her." he took a deep breath then, his eyes watering slightly from everything he was feeling.

Her expression sobered and she reached forward, wrapping her arms around her brother. "But if I give up, then we really will never see her again, and you're all I have to rely on right now…"

Kurogané hugged her back, laying his head on top of hers. "I know Zuzu. And I promise I will always be here for you to rely on. No matter what."

Izumi nodded and relaxed against him, smiling. She knew he would always be there, but she sure as heck wasn't going to stop. Because she knew it was her this time. There wasn't a doubt in her mind.

* * *

"So, you'll never guess who I saw yesterday." Izayoi sighed as she sat at the patio table with her parents for brunch.

A pink haired woman dressed in a showy sundress sat reading a magazine with her oversized sunglasses on her head. "Who dear?" she asked, almost sounding bored.

Izayoi took a bite of her sandwich. "Kai."

Natsumi put down her magazine, suddenly interested, though a frown was now in place. "Really? Where?"

"He's the opposing attorney in my case."

"Well that must be nice for you." an ebony haired man with deep green eyes said, eating some of his own sandwich. At the looks he was receiving from the two women, he blinked. "What?" Akito asked through a mouthful of food, swallowing it really quickly. "Didn't you have some huge crush on him in high school? I know that he was really fond of you."

Izayoi scoffed. "That was before he was a mega douche bag, dad."

"Please try to keep up sweetheart. Just because you're a grandpapa now doesn't mean you have to be senile." Natsumi shook her head, going back to her magazine. "Seems like we're going to have to get rough tonight in bed so I can remind you you're still a young beast in the sack." She smirked.

The dark haired woman made a face of disgust. "Gross." She shivered.

Akito rolled his eyes. "I can't keep up with all of their love interests honey, and Kai is the last guy Iza's ever been interested in that I know of. I know I'm still an animal in bed."

"Because men suck." She huffed. "I'm never risking that again."

"Oh Iza, not all men are bad." Natsumi waved her off. "Your daddy's a bad, _bad_ boy." she purred, giving her lover a devious, yet provocative look. "But he rocks my world so hard sometimes I can't see straight."

Izayoi hit her palm to her forehead. "I want to eat without throwing up thank you."

"Well you knew the risks when you agreed to eat with us angel." The ebony haired man said, taking a drink. "But I promise we'll try to behave."

She simply rolled her eyes at her parents, sipping at her juice. "Freaks…" she mumbled.

* * *

"So you're up against my sister?" a dark haired man with spiky hair and light jade eyes snickered, unlocking his home to allow him and Kai in. There was a small patter of feet and suddenly there was a dark haired boy in front of them, latching onto Noriaki's legs.

"Daddy! You're home!" he cried out.

Noriaki smiled down at the boy before picking him up. "Hey punk, where's your sexy fine mama?" he asked, walking into the living room with Kai behind him. "Babe! Kai's here!"

The little boy smiled brightly at his father before looking over his shoulder and waving at Kai. "Hi Kai! Want to play Legos with me?"

"I'd love to play Legos with you little man. Just let me finish talking to your parents first, okay?" Kai asked, ruffling the boy's hair.

"Are you…hair…issing Aunt Iza again?" he giggled.

Noriaki blinked, looking to his son. "Where did you hear that Sakimori?"

"Grandmama told me Uncle Kai is a…im…bickle and a stalker." He explained.

Kai sighed. That pink haired harpy would say that. That's where Izayoi got it from, he just knew it. "No, I'm not harassing her. We're working together." He said, looking over as his cousin entered the room.

"Kai!" Hikari smiled. She was a beautiful woman, with white hair and bright purple eyes, curves in the all the right places despite having had two children, the second one being on her hip. She was a little girl with short wispy black hair and the same eyes as her mother, a smile on her face. She walked over to him and gave him a half hug, kissing his cheek as he did hers. "So nice to see you."

"Good to see you two Kari." Kai smiled over at whom he considered his niece, holding his arms out to her. "Can I hold you little princess?"

She ignored him, instead reaching over towards Noriaki and squealing excitedly. "Dada!" she smiled, so happy to see the elder man.

Noriaki set Sakimori down and took Kairi from Hikari. He smiled at her, so much love on his face it as hard to believe he was the same man they had all known in high school. "Hello my precious little flower. My sweet little princess." He hugged her to him and she hugged his face.

"Dada!" she squealed again.

"Oh Kairi, you're so cute!" he nuzzled her affectionately. "You're never _ever_ going to have sex…ever." He chuckled. "I'll kill anyone who ever comes near you, those rat little bastards." Noriaki kissed her cheek, which only made her giggle uncontrollably.

Hikari shook her head. "Baby, you know that's not fair." She smiled, wrapping her arm around her husband's waist and kissing his cheek.

"No, it is." Kai said. "If I had a daughter I'd keep her under lock and key to make sure she was never, ever, deflowered."

Noriaki nodded and headed into the kitchen, setting his little girl in her high chair. "So what happened Kai?" he asked, rummaging through the fridge to find some baby food. "Hey babe can you whip up some lunch? I'm starving and I'd love to fuck you before you head off to check out that beginner prep school for Sakimori."

Hikari smacked him on the rear. "Watch your language." She reprimanded with a smirk, going over to the pantry to get out some ingredients for lunch. "You know they soak up everything you say."

"Sakimori already knows to never repeat anything I say." He smirked, looking down at his son. "Right biddy?"

"Of course daddy! Because daddy says foul things that good boys should never utter!" he recited proudly.

Noriaki smiled and picked him up, placing him at the table. "You're such a good boy."

She shook her head, beginning to make some chicken quesadillas and homemade queso. Kai sighed, going over and playing with Kairi. "Izayoi still hates me." he said sadly.

"Are you really surprised?" Noriaki arched a curious brow as he sat down, finally relaxing. "She knows how to hold a grudge."

"I don't even know what I did." He said, lightly pinching the little girl's cheeks, making her giggle. He smiled at her. "All she'll tell me is that it happened the night of your pre-prom party. But I was too drunk to remember anything that night, which only makes matters worse."

"You _were_ pretty wasted." Hikari said, slicing the cheese and chicken as the stove heated up. She smiled over at her husband. "That was the night I first gave you head, remember? Since I said you couldn't have my virginity until prom night."

Noriaki waved her off. "Please baby, I was just humoring you by not fully seducing you. It was better to let you think you were in control." He smirked, blowing her a kiss. Then he turned his gaze back to Kai. "All I remember is that you kept telling me 'this was the night' and talking about how you were finally going to tell Iza you were in love with her and you wanted to marry her. Then you disappeared for hours."

"She did say I went into her room." Kai shrugged, going and taking a seat at the table. "She just won't tell me what. She even made me believe I had raped her for a second there, until she started cracking up because the look on my face was so funny."

Hikari laughed, putting the first quesadilla on the stove. "That is kinda funny. I bet you started to freak out."

"You should have caught on idiot, like you would _ever_ rape anyone. Drunk or not, especially the one person you've loved since elementary school." Noriaki rolled his eyes, taking some fruit and cutting it up so he could feed Sakimori. "I remember when you gave her some cookies from your lunch in kindergarten and I pushed you over on the playground because I was being a big brother." He snickered, which in turn made Sakimori want to snicker, though his was too adorable to be evil.

"Yeah, but I got you back when I put that caterpillar down your shirt." Kai smirked. Then he sighed once more. "I dunno, maybe working this case with her will be a good thing. Maybe this is my chance to figure it out and make things right."

Noriaki shrugged. "I dunno, after she came back from Europe she was never the same."

Kai nodded in agreement, looking up at his cousin when she sat a cooked and cut quesadilla in front of him, along with a side of hot sauce. "Thanks Hikari." He said.

"No problem." Hikari smiled, reaching over and setting one in front of her husband. "You guys want anything to drink?"

"Some water." The dark haired man said, giving her a charming smile. "Thanks babe." He took Sakimori from his chair and sat him on his lap, offering him one of the quesadillas. Sakimori took it eagerly, biting down on tasty treat.

"Yum!"

"I'll take some water too please." Kai said.

Hikari got them some water, setting it in front of them. "Here's your waters." She said, before setting a smaller, plastic cup in front of her son. "And some apple juice for my growing boy." She ruffled his hair, leaning down and blowing a raspberry on his cheek, making him laugh.

"Thanks Kari." Kai took a drink before eating some of his lunch.

A few minutes later she sat down with them, next to her daughter so that she could feed her. They ate lunch together then, catching up about everything going on in their lives. And the entire time Kai couldn't help but think of Izayoi, and how he was going to see her again on Monday.


	3. Confrontation

**Ignominy**

_Chapter Three_

-Confrontation-

Izumi took in a deep breath as she stood in front of the courthouse. This was where she'd seen her mother come out of, and this was where she'd seen her disappear into. She had on a lavender dress, her best one, since she wanted to look nice when she met her. Her black hair was down to her shoulder blades with her bangs clipped back with barrettes. She and her brother were a bit better dressed than other orphans, because the second time their mother came back, she left them an account with ten thousand dollars in it for whatever they'd need.

She took in a deep breath, her grey eyes nervous from what she was about to do. But she didn't even know where her mother would be in the building. And she was alone, because her brother didn't know she had gone on this mission. She knew he'd try and stop her, but she just couldn't have it.

With a final breath she started forward, only to bump into a plump man who glared down at her. "Watch where you're going brat." He snapped, making her back off.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"You better be! Damn kid, your parents need to beat some sense into you." He grumbled, walking up the steps towards the courts. Izumi sniffed, wiping at her eyes to stop her tears before they could fall.

"Hey, are you okay sweetheart?" a kind voice asked as a hand was placed on her shoulder. When she turned to see who it was, she was met with a pair of eyes exactly like hers, owned by a man with spiky white and black hair.

Izumi stared at him for a while, her brown knitting together as she thought. "I'm looking for my mommy." She said softly, sniffing.

He smiled. "I'll help you find her. Do you know where she is?"

"I saw her go in there." She pointed towards the court house. "She has long black hair, really, really pretty. And light green eyes, like that pretty stone…" she paused trying to think of the name. "Jade! That's the color of her eyes."

Kai blinked. That sounded like Izayoi. Then his brow furrowed as he really took in the girl's features, and saw that she looked exactly like the ebony haired woman did when she was a little girl. His eyes widened. Izayoi had a kid? He stood quickly, breathing deeply to keep from freaking out. That woman had some serious explaining to do. After all, she'd never said anything about a kid, and neither had Noriaki. Oh my god, he thought, nobody else knew. It was a secret from the world.

Then he looked back down at the little girl, and noticed that she was staring up at him with a curious gaze. "I think I know where to find her." he smiled a bit tightly, holding his hand out to her. "My name is Kai, by the way. What's yours?"

She smiled and took his hand happily, the small thing fitting his almost perfectly. "My name's Izumi!" the young girl declared as they walked up the steps together. "You know, you look a lot like my brother! Especially right now!" she giggled. "He's always so serious and huffy."

Kai almost collapsed right then and there. She had a brother? That only made things worse. "Well maybe that's because he has you and your mom to take care of. Unless, of course, your dad helps…" he glanced down at her, hoping she took his bait.

Izumi shook her head with a sigh. "I don't have a dad. Not ever! But I never heard anything bad about him. So, I'm pretty sure he died."

"Ah. Tragic." He said, looking up to the heavens thankfully. He opened the doors to the courthouse then, letting her go inside first before he followed. "So what are you looking for your mom for? There's nothing wrong with you and your brother, is there?"

"Uh…" she trailed off, almost panicking because she thought she was caught. "No, I just…wanted to see her is all." She said quickly.

They stopped in front of a large set of oak double doors, and Kai lowered down to look at her. "Well Izumi, your mom is in there," he pointed behind him. "But she and I are meeting with some clients right now, and cute little girls such as yourself aren't allowed." He stroked the tip of her nose teasingly, smiling when he made her giggle. "So why don't you go sit and wait over there on that bench and I'll come get you when it's okay."

Her eyes widened slightly. "No!" she burst out and then blushed. "I mean...c-can't you just ask her to come out here? It's important."

He frowned. "I thought you said nothing was wrong and that you just wanted to see her." he clarified.

"I didn't say wrong! I said important!" she shouted, drawing everyone's eye as she glared at him. "I don't even know you anyways!" Izumi yelled, which then got the attention of a few officers down the hall.

His eyes widened, and he held his hands up in a placating manner. "Alright, alright. Let me go see if she's free, okay? No need to cause a fuss."

"Then go get her." She ordered, giving him that same demanding look Izayoi always had on her face. She didn't want to sound mean, but she'd waited her whole life to meet her mother and she couldn't stand to wait any longer when she was just on the other side of the door.

Kai sighed and stood. She was just like her mother, he thought, entering the courtroom, relieved to see that Izayoi was in fact inside, along with her inappropriate client. He walked over to her table, stopping next to her and bending down so that his mouth was next to her ear. "Izayoi…your…daughter, is waiting for you in the hall." He whispered. "And she's very adamant about seeing you right now."

Izayoi looked over at him, her glare in place. "What are you talking about? I don't have a-" she stopped when she saw his expression and stood immediately, facing the judge. "Miranda, please give me a few minutes. Something important has come up and Mr. Ryū's client isn't even here yet."

"Very well." She gestured for her to go. Izayoi pushed past him and hurried down the aisle, pushing the door open, having to catch her breath. Izumi stared wide eyed at Izayoi, her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

Izayoi looked around in horror. "Where's your brother? Did something happen? How did you find me?" she bombarded the girl with questions, none of which were answered.

"I knew it! You _are_ her! You're my mom!" she pointed, running forward and hugging Izayoi around the waist.

The doors opened once more and Kai came out to join them. "I found her wandering around on the steps looking for you. She almost got knocked to the ground by Mr. Yamamoto." He said, watching the two.

Izumi attempted to look around her mother at the man. "I saw you come out of the courthouse with him." she pointed to Kai. "You two were arguing when you bumped into me." She smiled, but Izayoi quickly hid her face with her body so Kai couldn't see it.

"Thank you Kai." Izayoi strained out. "You can…leave now and give us some privacy."

He frowned slightly at her actions. "Alright." he moved and lowered down once more next to the little girl. "It was nice to meet you Izumi. I hope to see you again sometime."

Izayoi almost panicked, grabbing Izumi's hand and pulling her away from Kai. "Come on, we need to talk. Let's hurry and grab something to eat."

Kai stood and placed his hand on the ebony haired woman's arm, halting her. "What's the rush Iza? You're acting like its some strange thing a little girl would come to see her mother." He said knowingly, looking down at Izumi and catching her gaze. He stared at her for a moment, before his eyes widened. "Holy shit she has my eyes!" he yelled, thrusting his fingers into his hair as he stared down at her in shock. Then his gaze sharpened and he glared at Izayoi. "She has my eyes?" he asked, though it was mostly an accusation.

Izumi looked between the two, her eyes widening once more. "You're my dad?" she wondered. "I always wanted to know why I went white early!" she laughed, tugging on her hair and showing off the white streak. Izayoi just stepped between the two, becoming flustered.

"She _doesn't_ have your eyes. Grey eyes are _extremely_ common." She tried to defend.

He deadpanned, clearly not believing her. "Really? So where'd the white hair come from, hm?" he crossed his arms. "Not to mention she said her brother looks a lot like me."

"He does!" Izumi declared from behind her mother.

"How could you not tell me about this Izayoi?" Kai asked, gesturing behind her. His eyes widened then in realization as everything clicked. "The pre-prom party." He said. "That's what we did when I came up to your room. That's why you hate me, because I didn't remember…and then you got pregnant."

She stepped forward and covered his mouth with her hand. "Not here and not now." She pleaded. "Please tell the judge we have to recess and continue tomorrow…I'll meet you at Garden Bistro in an hour."

Kai glanced behind her and nodded, her hand still against his mouth. He reached up and removed it. "I'll be waiting." He said, kissing the back of her hand. "Bye Izumi." He nearly whispered, before going back into the courtroom.

Izayoi sighed and looked down at Izumi, "Wait here while I grab my stuff." She instructed before disappearing into the courtroom. She came back out and took Izumi's hand, leading her out of the courthouse.

"Where are we going?" the younger girl asked.

"I'm taking you back to the orphanage." Izayoi sighed.

Izumi went wide eyed and pulled her hand from her mother's. "What? No!"

The dark haired woman frowned, looking back at her, before kneeling in front of her. "Listen Izumi, I promise I will come and get you and your brother tomorrow to tell you everything you want to know…but first I have to talk with…your…father."

The little girl still didn't look happy about it, but nodded. Izayoi took her hand and led her off, not looking forward to the lunch she was about to endure.

* * *

Kai sat at one of the tables as the bistro, tapping his fingers on the table as he waited for Izayoi. She'd said an hour, right? It'd only been about forty-five minutes, so she still had time to get there. He'd wait a bit longer before he started to worry.

After he'd gone inside and asked the judge to reschedule, before dealing with the lovely Mr. Yamamoto, he'd come straight here, his mind still reeling at the knowledge that he was a father. He just couldn't believe it. It explained so much, and yet he still had so many questions.

But first and foremost, she needed to get there so that they could all be answered. He just hoped it was soon, because he didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to control himself, since all he wanted was to see Izumi again, and meet his son.

Suddenly he saw Izayoi walking towards his table and he stood. "I almost thought you wouldn't come." He said softly, waiting for her to sit before he did the same.

"Why wouldn't I come?" she asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Chalk that up to my impatience I guess." They sat there staring at on another then. "So…she's pretty cute, huh?" he laughed slightly, trying to break the tension that was beginning to surround them.

"We have twins Kai." Izayoi interrupted his laugh. "Their names are Kurogané and Izumi."

"Oh my God." He breathed out, running a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? Was it because I didn't remember our…sexual interlude?" he asked.

Izayoi sighed, looking off. "The next morning when I tried to bring it up, you had no idea what I was talking about. And you didn't remember anything, and you were trying to be all macho in front of your friends saying you would never be so sappy as to say all the things you did to me." She paused. "I was so mad at you, and then you never apologized or even mentioned it, because you didn't remember anything. You only said all those things because you were drunk off your ass…and when I found out I was pregnant, I thought my life was over."

Kai frowned and looked down at the table, feeling guilty about how careless he had been to her. He remembered it too. How she had been so adamant about the things he had said, and how he'd brushed it off so that his friends, especially Noriaki, didn't see how much of a sap he really was. He was such an idiot. "I'm so sorry for being such a douche." He said, looking back up at her. "I would have helped you know. If you'd told me…I'd have done whatever it took for us to keep them."

"I…" she stopped, looking down in shame. "I didn't want them."

He blinked, completely taken aback by her confession. "…why?"

"Because I was eighteen and I wasn't married." She sniffed. "People would have given me that look and I would have lost my scholarship. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't want to have them consume my life." Izayoi buried her face in her hands. "My mother tried to get me to keep them, but she's already raised five children, and she looked tired even then when she offered to bring them up. I was too ashamed that I was a mother…I couldn't deal with all the talk, and I didn't want anything to do with you…so I thought it would be best to have them disappear. My father doesn't even know." She cried.

At the sight of her tears, Kai rose from his seat and went over to her, lowering down and wrapping his arms around her to try and bring her comfort. "Sh, I understand Iza, it's okay." He said softly, rubbing her arm. He wasn't lying, he did understand, to a point. Being pregnant so young and having so many things at stake must have been scary for her, and the entire ordeal was probably hard. Especially if only her mother knew. Because there just weren't secrets in the Uchiha family. They told one another everything eventually, otherwise someone found out and blew everything out of proportion. He just wished she would have told him. He'd have taken care of them if he'd had the chance.

He frowned then. No, he wouldn't have. He'd had a full ride to college through sports, and then had gone off to Harvard to become a lawyer. With such a heavy load, he'd barely had time to go and hang out with his friends, or party. Raising twins would have ruined his chances at a career as well, and he knew that he'd have resented the entire thing at the time. But that didn't mean he couldn't handle it now.

"Izayoi…what about now?" he asked, continuing to rub her arm.

"I went back for them once…when they were two…but I decided against it. So I left them ten thousand dollars for anything they might need. I saw them…they were so beautiful, and I loved them so much and they loved me." She told him with a small smile. "Finally, about two years ago, I tried to find them so I could take them back, but they were gone. Not adopted, they just disappeared."

He pulled away from her and looked into her face. "But we've found them now. Don't you think that's a sign? I mean, we're both established and successful in our careers…we could take care of them." he smiled, beginning to get excited at the idea of having a family with his lifetime love. Maybe now he could get her to return his feelings, and they could become a _real_ family.

"But I still hate you." She said softly, giving him an apologetic stare.

"This isn't about us." The white haired man clarified. "It's about the kids. If you want, they could live with you, and I could just visit them or take them every once in a while, like divorced couples do." He explained. "Only we were never married, nor did we go through some nasty separation."

"We did go through a nasty separation. You're a liar and a butt face." She huffed, sounding just like an angry teenage girl.

He refrained from rolling his eyes, because he knew that wouldn't help anything. "Those things aside, what do you think?" he asked, taking the seat next to her instead of back across the table. "We'd have to fill out some paperwork and stuff, not to mention prepare for bringing them home, but I think it could work."

Izayoi sighed. "I dunno…I don't really know how to be a mom. What if I'm bad at it?"

"Well, here's the way I look at it." Kai began. "Being a parent is a learning experience for everyone. Besides, I bet your mom didn't know if she'd be good at it, and now look at her. She learned how to manage five kids. Not to mention you're one of the best people I have ever known, and you pick things up pretty quickly. I'm sure you'll be great." He smiled, placing his hand over hers. "I know you love them Izayoi, I saw it on your face when Izumi showed up today. I think love is the perfect building block to being an excellent mom."

The dark haired woman looked up, taking a deep breath. She leaned against his side, resting her head on his shoulder. "How can you really love someone who gave you away?"

He set his chin on top of her head. "I don't know." He replied softly. "But they must love you, to have gone to such lengths to find you." I love you, and you shoved me away, he thought, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand. He wanted nothing more than to tell her of his true feelings, but he knew that now was not the time. First he needed to repair his relationship with her, and then he could confess.

She sat up, a look of determination on her face. "You're right! I'm an Uchiha! I can do anything." She smirked. "Especially take care of my kids."

"Our kids." He corrected, smiling slightly. "I want to help take care of them too."

Izayoi glanced over at him with a small scoff. "Please." She rolled her eyes. "For all I know you could be trying to use them to get all friendly with me."

"Do you want me to be an ass to you just so I can get to know my kids?" Kai asked a bit harshly. "Because if I have to I will. You can think whatever you want about me, I don't care. I didn't even know they existed until today, and I'm not going to just walk away from them now that I do."

She glared at him slightly. "You're just as much of a jerk now as you were back then." Izayoi frowned, standing and pushing her chair out. "I'm leaving." She informed him before she grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

Kai rose and went after her, grabbing her arm to halt her. "What do you want from me?" He asked her. "When I'm nice you're as cold as ice to me and push me away, but you hate it when I act like a jerk to you. You've made it clear that you want nothing to do with me, no matter what I try, and I understand that now…sort of. But what I don't understand are those moments when I feel like we're connecting, like things were when we were young and you're letting me inside…before you push me out again, with the littlest excuses of whatever it is I supposedly did or said to offend you."

She jerked her arm from his, glaring angrily at him, though her eyes were glistening with tears. "Because I _don't_ want anything to do with you." She clarified. "I…I told you I loved you and I let you have my virginity. You said you wanted to get married and all this other stuff, but chose to look cool in front of your friends and make me look like an idiot! And then when I was scared cause' I got pregnant and I _tried_ to tell you, you brushed me off, telling my brothers and stupid Hideaki that I was just some silly girl who was trying to get attention all the time because I was about to cry. And I get that you didn't mean it, but you still _abandoned_ me emotionally, and I won't let you do it again." She pointed in his face before turning and leaving. She stopped at the door and let out a harsh breath. "I'm going to see them tomorrow. You can meet me there if you want and we can discuss them more. I was going to take them to eat. I'll be there at noon…" she said, leaving the bistro.

Kai wiped a hand down his face, letting out a sigh. If he could go back in time, he'd kick his ass. Because he was an idiot. He left the bistro then, going off towards his car. If he was going to meet his kids for the first time tomorrow, he needed to go straighten out a few things so that he was prepared. Having kids was a big step, after all, and he was about to take a leap.


End file.
